The widow of the late Deputy Director-General of the National Disaster Management Organisation (NADMO), Samuel Aboagye, has called on authorities and Ghanaians to make the fight against illegal mining the lasting legacy of the eight people who died in the August 2025 military helicopter crash.
Abigail Aboagye said the most meaningful way to honour the victims, who were on an official assignment linked to the fight against illegal mining, was not through annual commemorations but through decisive efforts to protect Ghana’s environment.
She made the call during the National Inter-Faith Memorial Service for the “Departed 8” held in Accra on Thursday, August 6, to mark one year since the tragedy.
“Samuel died on his way to a fight that is yet not finished. The rivers he was going to defend are still being poisoned. The land is still bleeding,” she said.
“The truest tribute we can pay these eight is not a speech. It is to finish their work. Please, do not let this be the last year we remember them.”
The Ghana Air Force helicopter crashed in the Adansi Akrofuom District of the Ashanti Region on August 6, 2025, while transporting government officials and military personnel to Obuasi for activities related to the government’s anti-illegal mining campaign.
All eight persons on board died in the crash.
Reflecting on her late husband’s contribution to national service, Mrs Aboagye described him as a committed public servant whose work at NADMO focused on supporting people during their most difficult moments.
“As the Deputy Director for NADMO, his work was to reach people on the worst days of their lives. He did it well,” she said.
She added that beyond his public role, he was a devoted husband and father to their two daughters.
Mrs Aboagye acknowledged the emotional difficulties her family has faced since his passing, saying grief remains a daily reality for those left behind.
“I will not stand here and pretend the year has been easy. Grief does not get smaller. You simply grow around it,” she said.
She spoke about the challenges of adjusting to life without her husband, including the absence felt during family moments and the questions from their children.
“There’s a chair in our house that nobody sits on. Birthdays came anyway. Christmas came anyway. And our girls still ask me questions I do not have good answers for,” she said.
Despite the pain, Mrs Aboagye expressed appreciation to President John Dramani Mahama, the government, the Ghana Armed Forces, NADMO, residents of Obuasi and Adansi, and Ghanaians who supported the bereaved families.
“Thank you. You held us up when we could not stand,” she said.
She also extended solidarity to the families of the other seven victims, describing the shared loss as a bond that would forever connect them.
“To the seven other families here, we did not choose one another, but we belong to one another now,” she stated.
In a final tribute to her late husband, Mrs Aboagye said her faith had helped her endure the difficult period and assured him that their children were doing well.
“Our girls are well. They have your love, and I am keeping my promise. I am taking care. Rest peacefully in the bosom of the Lord. Until we meet again, you will always be my forever,” she said.
Her remarks renewed calls for sustained action against illegal mining as Ghana continues efforts to address the environmental damage caused by the practice.
